New HIV cases stable, but at 20-year highs

HIV diagnoses in Australia remain stable at 20-year highs, while gay men still report they are having unprotected casual sex, two major reports say.

An annual surveillance report says 1235 people were diagnosed with the virus in 2013.

About 26,800 people are living with HIV in Australia, says the national report compiled by University of NSW's Kirby Institute.

And about 14 per cent of them don't know they have HIV, the report estimates.

"That is probably lower than almost any other country in the world, so we've done very well in that respect," says lead author Associate Professor David Wilson.

"But we know that the people that are undiagnosed are firstly not in to care and therefore the virus is not effectively being managed.

"They need treatment for their own health, but secondarily, people that are undiagnosed are more likely to transmit the virus to other people."

The report also showed about 60 per cent of people with HIV in Australia were being treated, compared to about 25 per cent of people with HIV in the US.

Another report shows unprotected anal intercourse among casual male partners continues to be a key transmitter of HIV among gay men in Australia.

The Trends in Behaviour report, by UNSW's Centre for Social Research in Health, found that 35 per cent of men with casual partners said they had unprotected anal sex in the six months before the survey, with rates close to 60 per cent among HIV-positive men with casual partners.

Earlier this month, the federal government set a target of cutting sexual transmission of HIV in half by 2015, and to reach zero by 2020.

It also announced plans to increase access to kits that allow people to test at home.

Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations executive director Rob Lake said that to achieve the goal of ending HIV transmission, a concerted effort would be needed to get gay men to use condoms.

Improved access to drugs that help prevent HIV transmission was also needed, he said.

"Rapid and home testing for HIV are proving more and more popular and access to them needs to be expanded," he said.

"We also need to keep the conversation about HIV prevention and stigma happening amongst gay men and the broader community.

"This has begun but we need support and action from government, health providers and our community to make it effective."